Public safety first responded (for example, police, firefighters, paramedics, etc.) use a number of different tools and communication devices to facilitate the tasks of decision-making, information exchange, and coordination in emergency and crisis situations. In an emergency situation that requires, for example, a building evacuation, it can be important to communicate a travel route to both first responders and evacuees. The travel route may be, for example, an evacuation route out of a building or a danger zone. In some situations, the travel route guides the first responders to a particular building or area within a building where an emergency is present (e.g., to the source of a fire or to the location of a victim). In some cases, such travel routes are pre-planned and in other cases travel routes are calculated or determined at the site of the emergency.
Determining a travel route at the site of an emergency (and sharing that route with mobile devices carried by first responders and evacuees) may require the exchange of a large amount of data, such as, for example, map and location data. Typically, a broadband connection is required to ensure that the map and location data is provided to the necessary mobile devices in a timely manner. However, public safety networks and mobile communications devices may also be handing other communications. Thus, network congestion and quality of service conflicts may arise. Quality of service is a quantitative measure of network performance and may be based on, among other things, error rates, bit rate, throughput, transmission delay, availability, jitter, or a combinations of these or other parameters. Poor communication conditions may also lead to situations where communication must be repeatedly attempted before they can be successfully completed. Repeatedly attempting to complete communications can drain the batteries of mobile communications devices more rapidly than the drain that occurs during more typical situations.
Accordingly, there is a need for methods and systems of dynamically assigning a quality of service.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
The apparatus and method components have bees represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.